We believe in getting to know people and places through commerce and design. Someone else's daily diet of lo-fi goods is simple to her yet sacred to us, and vice versa. Let's marvel at each other's mundane, because that shit is dope.

Apr 8 Be Boss – This Here Now

Releasing three STMT Kits was guaranteed, six was being hopeful, and 12 be my pipe dream come true. When we neared our 50th release, it blew my mind. Nonstop travelin’ for five years, huntin’ down lo-fi office supplies and sharin’ them with RAHstrs all over the world? MAJOR BOOTYCLAPPIN’!

To celebrate the 50th STMT Kit I designed the “Every Day We’re Traveling” illustration featurin’ some of my fave icons from some of our most popular kits… whales reppin’ Ukraine, a boombox reppin’ Finland, snails reppin’ Croatia… We plastered it on T-shirts, custom drawing boards, our RAH Passports, stamped it on pencils, and more.

This month we drop our 70th Kit (HELLZ YEAH!), and totally ready to celebrate! Seven years in and my love for pencils still beats strong. The force behind RAD AND HUNGRY, my all-time fave office supply – PENCILS ARE THE SHIT. How we gonna celebrate? To start – custom pencils proclaiming my love of pencils!

The pencils I ordered were waiting for me after my return from last month’s sourcing trip. My whole flight home I was excited thinkin’ about surprising RAHstrs with ‘em. Back at the office, I tore into the package. And you know what? The pencils aren’t the shit; they totally look like shit. The body paint is streaky, the text cracking – the pressure of stamping the text was too much causin’ the letters to crack through the uneven paint job. Noooooo!

After all my bummed out feelings washed away, my next thought was… OMG, I don’t wanna deal with the vendor! Will they offer to redo them? Will they offer a refund? Are we stuck with shitty pencils that clearly aren’t the shit? What do I do when I don’t wanna make that call or send that email? ‘Cause sometimes I don't wanna be boss. Sometimes I wish I could snap my fingers and all the not-so-rad tasks and headaches of running a small biz would resolve themselves. But that's not reality.

Sometimes I let things ride, let issues slide. Accept half-assed because it's easier, because I don't wanna stir shit up. But that’s never a good thing. I gotta remind myself to be boss. Day in, day out. Dealin’ with all the good and bad of owning it. Owning my pipe dream. Owning a small biz. Owning every day whether ridin’ high or sinkin’ in shit. I gotta have the emotional strength to deal with any bullshit slung my way, big or small.

I’m gonna make the situation right, I’m gonna make that phone call. I’m gonna M’THR F’IN be boss ‘cause PENCILS ARE THE SHIT, and one not-so-hot experience isn’t gonna stop me from spreadin’ the pencil love!